SVTFOE: Fires of Change
by TheBigBrownBox
Summary: Queen Star and King Marco have reigned over Mewni for twenty one years, and their three young daughters are ready to begin making their marks in Mewman history. However, dark forces conspire in the shadows, and the future of Mewni itself may very well lie with the three butterfly children and a small trio of orphans.
1. Outsider

Author's Note: While this isn't my first story, this is the first one I have put out for the world to see. While I have done my best to proofread my work, there I bound to be a good amount of errors that I missed. Should you find any of these and you care enough, please do let me know and I will make the appropriate corrections. I would appreciate any constructive criticism you have to offer, as I truly do wish to become a better writer. Also take note that while this is a complete story, I do plan to expand upon this AU and the characters contained within it in the future so stay tuned!

While I posted this story under a different title, I have discovered a multitude of errors and plot inconsistencies. While I wouldn't exactly call this a rewrite, I have changed a few minor story elements and highly reworked the character arcs from the original.

* * *

"Man, you look beautiful today." King Marco remarked, a dumb smile on his face. His eyes were fixated on his wife, Queen Star Butterfly. Her blonde hair was tied into a bun, and her blue eyes shone brightly. She turned to him, holding a set of royal clothing for her husband. With a mischievous grin, she tossed them onto his head.

"Marco, I'm a Queen. I always look beautiful. Now get dressed, it's a big day for Zemi and I want you looking good."

"Right, right." Said Marco as he began to dress. Beside him, Star watched as he struggled to fit the shirt on correctly with an amused look on her face. Marco knew what she was going to say before she even spoke, but he didn't mind.

"Having problems, King Butterfly?"

"Not at all, Queen Diaz." Said Marco as he finally buttoned up the shirt. It was a little joke they had to switch last names, since technically they held both. On Earth, Marco was a Diaz, and on Mewni he was a Butterfly. Personally, her preferred being a Diaz. It was much simpler that way.

Moving on to the next piece of clothing, Marco could sense his wife looking him over. Piece by piece, the king assembled a deep red royal suit, complete with a cape, gold lining, and multiple silver medallions that dotted the surface of his coat. When he was done, Star scanned him up and down before giving an affirming nod.

"Oh yeah, the Kingdom of Mewni sure does have one good looking King, that's for sure." Star mused, a selfish grin on her face. "And he's all mine."

"I'm not so sure anyone is jealous of you, Star." Started Marco, but the Queen quickly shook her head, not wanting to hear it.

"Oh don't get me started Marco. If I have to hear one more time about how the king of Mewni is an alien, or that their children aren't even Mewmans I might behead the person that says it." Marco rolled his eyes, of course she would say that. Beheading had become an offhanded joke that Star liked to toss around now. At first, Marco was a bit worried by how often she mentioned the subject, but by now he had grown used to it.

"And what if it was me? I'm sure the people would _love_ you then." He joked, a sly grin on his face. Much to his dismay, Star shot him a disapproving glare as she began working on her hair.

"Marco, stop. Don't joke about that." She quietly commanded, her voice low but firm. Marco winced, he should have known better than to joke about that. Star had been very sensitive about things like that lately, he should have known better.

"Sorry." Mumbled the dejected king. Star said nothing, instead turning her eyes back towards her mirror.

"Zemi already has enough on her plate," Started the Queen. "She gets the wand today, soon she'll be queen. Everybody is watching every move she makes, just waiting for a reason to hate her." Star sighed, letting her arms fall to her side as she stared at her reflection. "Nobody will even give her a chance, they all just assume she'll be as terrible as me."

Marco was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. He loved his wife, but he could agree that her handling of multiple very sensitive issues was far less than ideal. In his mind he could still see the fires in the streets as riots broke out across Mewni. Star had been far too hasty with opening the city's walls to monsters. There was no food, no homes, no space for anybody. People starved, others died from sickness. Killings were numerous and daily. It was a very bad situation for a long while.

"Star, you did the best you could." Said the king, unsure if even he believed those words. The queen said nothing, and Marco sensed that she could feel his doubt. "And, Zemi will be fine. She's dealt with those people her whole life, and she knows what she's doing. She's careful and smart, the people will love in no time at all." Marco said with a smile. Now that he did believe, Zemira would be a good queen, just as long as she accepted her role.

"Well she isn't off to a good start." Star remarked. "Zemi is _two_ years late for her wand ceremony! Two! I've already heard plenty of gossip about that. God what's next, she runs away from her coronation?"

"Hey," Started Marco as he put a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "Zemi's a smart kid. I'm not saying that she won't mess up, but when she does we'll fix it. We always do. Remember when we caught her stealing sticks of butter?" Said the King, a warm smile on his face. Star grinned, but her smile soon faded.

"We're gonna need to give her so much attention." She groaned, leaving her mirror and flopping onto their bed. "And what about Sam and Luci? I just know Sam will get jealous, and then Luci is going to that school next year… Oh god Marco, I don't think I'll be able to sleep with Lucia gone!"

"Lucia and Sam are going to be fine. They've always known that since Zemira is the first born, she gets the wand, and she needs to learn how to lead. Luci's school is one of the most well-guarded places in Mewni and your dad will keep Sam busy." Marco sat down next to his wife, gently rubbing her back in an attempt to sooth her. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I know…" Star said before letting out a long sigh. Marco began to rub her back as she gently relaxed.

"When did you start worrying so much?" Asked the king, a playful smirk adorning his face. "I thought that was my thing."

"When I became a mom. It's what we do, Marco." Suddenly, a loud brass horn sounded, signaling that the Ceremony was about to begin. Star and Marco shot up, hearts racing.

"Holy shit! Get your pants on Diaz, we gotta move!" commanded the Queen of Mewni. Marco darted for the door, followed by his wife.

"Aw crap! We're gonna be so late!"

* * *

"Aw Crap! We're gonna be so late!" Moaned a panicked Lucia as she franticly brushed her hair. To her left stood Samantha, who was attempting to brush her teeth and clean her sword at the same time. "Sam! Forget the sword, we gotta go!"

"Never! Steve needs to be there when his big sister gets her wand!" Luciana groaned, shooting her younger sister a very annoyed look.

"For the last time, your stupid sword is not a part of the family! And it's not alive!"

"Luciana Dina Butterfly how could you say that! _He's standing right here_!" Zemira watched with mild amusement as her two younger sisters' backs stiffened. They were getting ready for another heated debate. Mentally, Zemi scolded them. This day wasn't even about them. Today was Zemi's day, and she couldn't hate that fact anymore than she already did. That was the reason she had developed a little plan to extend her time as a child just a little bit longer.

Today was the day her life ended, or at least the enjoyable part. After she got her wand it was studying and looking pretty, topped with no small amount of buttering up the peasants. Zemi knew that the Kingdom was unhappy with her mother's rule, though she didn't really know why. The queen had always done her best for them, it wasn't her fault that some things didn't go as planned.

Still, that didn't stop them from hating her. It wouldn't stop them from hating their new queen either. A high pitched, "Hey!" interrupted Zemira's train of thought. Focusing back on her sisters, the princess saw Samantha lob a can of hairspray at Lucia, who shielded her eyes as she crouched down into a ball. The can bounced off one of the girl's forearms, landing right next to a makeup case.

"Sam, stop it!" She ordered as the youngest Butterfly giggled to herself. Sam responded by throwing a brush this time. "Stop!" Lucia shouted. "Samantha, that hurts! We don't have time for this!"

"Sam, cut it out!" Snapped Zemi, who looked down at the youngest Butterfly child. "I think we've only got about ten minutes, so stop acting like a child."

The sisters paused for a moment, exchanging an uncertain look. Zemira had quietly crossed her fingers, praying they didn't notice her little fib. _Blind luck don't fail me now,_ she thought to herself. Much to her relief, Samantha shrugged and got back to polishing her sword. Luciana however, wasn't buying it so easily.

"Zemi, mom said that by the third bell we were to be in the throne room, and in case you haven't forgotten that _was_ the third bell!" Zemi mentally groaned at her sister. Today was the last day Zemi needed her sister to be smart. She would have much rather had Luci dropped on the head as a child, maybe then the middle child would stop thwarting all of Zemira's plands. When she was younger, the eldest princess had despised her sister for that very reason. She could almost never keep a secret from her.

"Third bell? No, no. Luci…" Started Zemi, leaving a noticeable delay in her words as she attempted to salvage her fib. "That… First bell… Was the church! Today is a special day after all, so they're having a service to honor the kings and queens of Mewni. Didn't you head how much quieter the first bell was?"

"Not really… But…" Lucia paused, thinking for a moment. On the outside, Zemi kept as straight a face as possible, but in her mind she had been begging Luciana to just shut up and accept it. She had been able to fool the second Butterfly child only a handful of times, but Zemi could get lucky today, gods willing.

"Why do I not believe you?" Asked Lucia, examining her older sister with great detail. Managing to keep a straight face, Zemi shrugged, not trusting herself to talk at this point. Luciana stared for a moment longer, before letting out a sigh. "Maybe you're right. Let's just get ready as quick as we can and get down there. It wouldn't hurt to be a little early." She remarked, though still sounding unsure.

"Right!" Exclaimed Sam, a wide smile appearing on her face. "Luci, keep doing your hair! I'll finish cleaning Steve and help Zem look as beautiful as she can be! Together, we're gonna be the greatest sister tag team the world has ever seen!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Said Zemira as she dropped into a chair, relieved that Lucia hadn't pushed the issue further. "Samantha make me beautiful!" Commanded, dropping into a chair. With that, her Zemi's youngest sister began to look over various forms of makeup and lipstick as she made an attempt to be fashionable. Every time she saw a color she liked, the young girl would enthusiastically shove the item right in Zemira's face to see what she thought. A mix of colors from red, orange, pink, and even green was suggested, but the oldest princess politely declined. In truth, she wasn't even going to overdo it with makeup, but the sight of her little sister with a smile on her face was too cute to ignore.

They had to look good for today, and Samantha's definition of good was a bit unorthodox to say the least. Not to say that the girl was unattractive however, her style was simply more akin to their mother's than anyone else. Sam has long golden hair that she had tied into a long braid which hung around her right shoulder accompanied by a pair of light brown eyes. Her white, long-sleeved shirt was a mess of bright colors which Sam had splattered onto it herself. Pinks, oranges, greens, and blues all adorned it in small splashes that lead eventually to a grey skirt with a small red stripe running down the side. Finally, she wore a pair of black boots with pink accents. All of this accumulated in a look that was highly bombastic and very informal. Just like their mother.

It all fit her though, as Samantha was an exciting girl, just as her red lightning bolt cheek marks would lead one to believe. Much like their mom, she never wanted to rule Mewni or wear fancy dresses. She was a skilled warrior, and with her sword, Steve, she could best almost anyone in Butterfly castle, except for grandpa River that is. Although she loved to fight however, Sam's favorite thing to do was simply to have fun, much like Zemi herself. The two would often spend hours at a time setting up all sorts of different schemes and plans just for the heck of it. They'd break into the kitchen and steal all the chocolate chips and feast on them as they watched the latest sparring match, or maybe they would sneak out at night and go dancing. Lucia would join them most of the time, though on occasion she would stay behind.

Luciana, the second born sister, was far tamer than the other two Butterfly children, both in attitude and in style. Adorning her cheeks were a set of deep blue four pointed stars. Her Deep brown hair hung behind her head and down to her waist, her light blue eyes giving her an sort of mature beauty. The girl wore an highly intricate purple and gold lined dress, with a pair of silver and diamond earrings and a bright silver necklace around her neck.

That piece of jewelry was almost certainly the most expensive item that Luciana owned, an heirloom from their grandmother. It was held in place by thirty six bright silver links, each one containing a deep blue diamond and intricately engraved so that each link seemed to flow with the next. Those, lead down to a massive, intensely purple amethyst which had found its place on her upper chest.

It was almost astonishing to see Luci so well dressed, as she almost always opted for much simpler clothing. Since today was very important to the people of Mewni however, the princess had decided to put on her best appearance, and it suited her. Along with her dress, the girl also wore a pair of thin black leggings and a pair of similar purple and gold boots. Finally, a small hip bag she wore on her left side, mostly just so she had a place to store her glasses.

Though she was fun to be around, Lucia was a bit more responsible than the other two, often preferring to stay out of trouble and not stick her nose where it doesn't belong. For that reason she was occasionally voluntarily, and involuntarily, left out of certain activities when they seemed too extreme or risky. It didn't seem to bother her that much however, as she would spend the better part of her free time reading.

The girl would spend hours at a time studying Mewman history or learning about different cultural legends, or anything else that interested her. Oddly, she loved to read survival guides, learning every single way to distill water or start a fire with nothing but her hands and a twig. As a result, Lucia almost certainly the most resourceful princess Mewni had ever seen. In addition, Lucia would also pour her time into learning new math equations or the easiest way to divide by pie.

These things interested Zemi far less, yet the Mewman School for Prestigious Students seemed to be dazzled by it. In a little more than a year, Luciana would be moving out and studying there to become whatever she liked, while Zemi would be confined to the throne.

Everything was going to change. Lucia would be living at her school, Zemi would be training to become queen of Mewni. They would never have time to just hang out and be together anymore. Not to mention that whenever they did manage to get together, Zemira would have to keep constant watch over her wand. Never casting a dangerous spell and always keeping it safe from unsavory characters. Queen Star had told Zemi time and time again to be extra careful with the wand, and the consequences that would follow should she lose it. The princess never forgot those words. She never forgot to great responsibility that a Queen would have to contend with, and it terrified her.

Looking in the Mirror, Zemi couldn't see a queen staring back, she was barely a princess. A pair of sliver infinity signs adorned her cheeks, matching the color of her hair. A pure, deep, thick silver that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Nobody was sure where she got it from, or even how it happened, but it was there. She had heard all sorts of theories, the most popular of which being that it was a mutation caused by her mixed heritage. They were only rumors though, and Zemi tried not to worry about it much. She simply tied her hair back into a ponytail and rolled her eyes at any insults she may receive.

The rest of her outfit was very much standard. She wore a simple grey dress with black accents that matched her hair, and a pair of black heels. She was hoping that she wouldn't need to accessorize today anyways, if everything worked out as planned that is.

The oldest princess was brought out of her thoughts by Luciana, who had just loudly cleared her throat. She stood atop a balcony that overlooked the courtyard below. The courtyard that lead into the throne room. Zemi internally panicked, she may have very well been caught.

"Uh, Zemi?" Asked Luciana, who was peering down at the castle entrance below. Her cocked eyebrow strongly indicating that something was wrong.

"What's up?" Replied the nervous princess.

"It looks like... Oh boy, we're in trouble." The princess stepped back from the balcony, her voice filled with fear.

"What's wrong?" Asked Samantha, putting down a can of hair spray. "Is it tomorrow?"

"No, no! It's already happening guys!" She said, panic overtaking her. Lucia ran to her mirror and looked herself over before turning to the others again. "We need to go or we'll miss the whole thing!"

"Luci, calm down," Said Zemi, who still sat relaxed in her chair. Her attempts at acting calm were of no use it seemed, as the girls darted around the room, finishing up as quickly as they could. Still, Zemi persisted, attempting to salvage her plan the best she could. "It's okay if we're a little late, mom and dad won't care." She argued, almost begging at this point. By this time Zemira had let her calm demeanor slip just a little bit, her face visibly distressed.

"What?" Asked Lucia in disbelief, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "No! They will care! Every royal house of Mewni will be there Zemi, we can't be late! Especially you!"

"Yeah Zem, we need to get down there before we embarrass mom and dad!" Chimed in Sam. "You're next in line to be the queen of Mewni, it's your job to show up to this stuff! Now Come on, if we cut through the kitchen we can still make it!" Without another word, Luciana and Samantha bolted out of the room, not even checking to see if Zemira was behind them.

The Princess let out a long sigh as she looked towards the mirror. Her somber reflection stared back. Princess of Mewni. Perfect. That's what she was supposed to be anyways, that's what the people wanted her to be. She knew this plan was stupid. What was she really going to do, just not move and hope for the best? Every moment she sat there she could feel a deeper sense of dread instilling itself inside of her, yet as much as she wanted to move the princess just couldn't find the will to stand.

So there she sat for what seemed like years, quietly waiting for the sound of her angry parents marching towards her. She sat staring into the mirror, knowing she should move but ultimately refusing to. What was she really missing anyways? A wand and a bunch of shallow compliments from nobles she doesn't even know?

Honestly, Zemira had never wanted the wand. That's why she kept putting off the ceremony for so long. When Zemi first turned fourteen, she had deliberately failed the wand proficiency test her father had given her to see if she was ready. When she failed, she was given it again a year later, and failed again. But she was sixteen now and the people of Mewni wouldn't wait any longer. Her mother wouldn't have it and neither would her subjects, though the king did protest for a time. It was Zemira's duty to keep the people of Mewni happy, and the people wanted their princess to have a wand. A dumb, stupid, dangerous magic wand. The girl sighed again and buried her head in her hands as she waited impatiently to be dragged to the ceremony.

Surely enough, the sound of metal boots stamping against the ground soon became apparent as two guards marched towards her. She felt a knot forming in her stomach as the latch to her door began to turn. This was it, her little scheme had failed. Slowly the door opened, but not all the way.

"Princess? Are you decent?" Asked a voice, uncertain on whether or not it was safe to enter. This was it. Maybe she could play stupid and act innocent, it wouldn't work on her mother but at least it wouldn't be so embarrassing for the guards to deal with her. Turning to the pair she immediately recognized them as her parent's chamber guards, so they were friendly faces.

"Antilles! Tremain? What are you guys doing here?" She asked innocently, smiling brightly. If anyone there had looked closely, they might say a bit too brightly. The princess saw the guards exchanged a look before Antilles spoke up.

"Forgive us Princess, but your mother commanded us to get you. Are you not aware that you're late to your ceremony?" Time to play dumb, she thought. Mustering up her most oblivious voice she could think of, Zemira gave her best attempt at a response.

"No? Really?" She asked, putting on the best shocked face she could.

"Uh, yes. Almost fifteen minutes late."

"No! really? But that must mean that we need to wait until next year!" She said, hoping that by some miracle they would go for it. Antilles just shook his head however.

"No Princess, the ceremony is still to be held today, but we need you to be present to start." Zemi shook her head however, pulling out a makeup kit.

"Wait, wait! I can't go yet, I need to look presentable! Just give me a minute to get ready, would you?" She asked, but the guard once again shook his head.

"I'm sorry princess, but we must leave at once on the authority of your mother." Zemira groaned in response, spinning her chair around to face away from the two soldiers.

"Oh just give it to Luciana, Sam is even old enough now. I'm sure everything will be fine without me." The guards exchanged a look, clearly not convinced. Zemi frowned. This wasn't working. "Just go on back to-"

She was interrupted by a series of screams and shrieks from the courtyard. The sound of metal footsteps and yelling made its way up to the balcony as Zemi and the guards rushed to get a look at the ceremony below. A large crowd had amassed surrounding her mother and father. They were the only ones she could make out however, everybody else just looked like a distant blur. It seemed like somebody was pinned to the ground, swords forming a circle around him as a disgusting cackle echoed throughout the courtyard. The king was yelling something to the guards as they scrambled around the courtyard. Zemira tried to hear what he was saying, but the yells of the crowd all blended together.

"Antilles? What's going on?" Asked the Princess.

"I… I don't know." The guard seemed to be in shock. His eyes darted all around the area before he unsheathed his sword. "Something bad. Princess we must escort you to your room."

"But what's-"

"Now!" And there was no further argument. As she was brought away from the dressing room, Zemi managed to thank the gods that at least she had managed to avoid getting her wand. Though she didn't know at what price.

* * *

"Star, are you going to be okay?"

"No Marco!" Star hissed under her breath. "She's Late!" Marco glanced at his wife. She was furious, though she was doing a decent job hiding it.

"Remember what I said about mistakes?"

"This isn't what I had in mind! She's practically standing up the whole Kingdom of Mewni!"

"She'll be here, Samantha said they were running late."

"Oh, she better be running!" Said the Queen, her voice filled with venom. Marco glanced at his other two children. They stood to the left of Star, both looking slightly nervous. He could see Luciana shifting uncomfortably and Sam's hand continuously tapping the hilt of her sword, as if she were bored. They had arrived just a few minutes ago saying that they had been running late. Apparently, Zemi was right behind them. Yet as time went on there was still no sign of the eldest sister.

Another minute passed, and still no sign of the missing princess. Marco couldn't help but wonder if this was some last ditch effort by his daughter to get out of becoming queen. Marco always had the sneaking suspicion that his daughter was afraid of getting the wand. She had never openly admitted it, but Marco knew that she was far too smart to fail his simple safety test he'd devised. He had only ever created it to make himself feel a little better about giving something so powerful to his daughter, but most of the questions he had devised were little more than common sense. The king did feel some remorse for his daughter's situation, but this was insulting to say the least. While it was true that Marco was very disappointed, the disappointment he felt was nothing compared to the eventual wrath of Star.

Every minute that passed she seemed to grow angrier. First her eyebrows furrowed, then her smile faded. Soon she began to nervously twiddle her thumbs, and now she had begun whispering curse words under her breath. While Marco couldn't always make sense of his wife, it didn't take much to notice that it was only a matter of time before his wife did something drastic.

"Maybe we send the guards to go get her?" Marco suggested, deciding that was far better than whatever Star had planned. She considered this, before nearly lunging at the guard closest to her, grabbing his breastplate with animalistic ferocity. Marco recognized the poor man as Antilles, one of his chamber guards. Not that he and Star needed any, they were perfectly capable in a fight. Antilles and Tremain were mostly there to keep unwanted guests out of their room while Marco and his wife were away.

"You. Go get my daughter and bring her here, now!" Hissed the queen of Mewni. The guard nodded, before he grabbed his partner and marched off to find Zemi without a word. Another minute passed.

"Where are they?" She asked, more to herself than to her husband.

"Relax Star, Butterfly Castle is a big place, give them a moment."

"I gave them a moment! The crowd is getting restless Marco, they need to be here now!" Marco looked over the crowd for this restlessness Star spoke of, but saw that everyone was still calm and orderly. A few uncertain glances let him know that a small amount of his subjects were becoming slightly wary, but things were far from out of hand.

"Everyone seems fine to me." Said Marco, much to Star's dismay.

"Yes they _look_ fine, but they don't _feel _fine! Like, look at my dad!" Marco did just that, glancing to the old man he had fought beside so many years ago. He stood alone in the very front of the crowd, chatting with a few of his relatives behind him. River had never truly been the same since Moon had passed, but today he seemed quite content.

"River looks fine, he's just standing there."

"No Marco, look at his foot!" At the command of his wife, Marco took a closer look at River. Indeed, his left foot was tapping impatiently on the floor, but the king still had no idea why this was relevant.

"Okay," He started. "He's tapping his foot. What's the big deal Star?"

"Uhhg, he's getting restless! It's only a matter of time before he starts a fight and the rest of the Johansons join in. After that the ceremony will fall apart, and even _if_ Zemi shows up, the royal family will still look like a joke!" She paused, thinking for a moment as her anger turned to sadness. "Who am I kidding, we already do." Marco put a hand on Star's shoulder and offered her a smile.

"Hey, we'll figure it out, we always do. We can fix this. Just, you know, try not to explode." Star let out a sigh, her shoulders sinking.

"I should have told her things between the Butterflies and the common people are tense right now. First my mother passed, and our marriage… Maybe if she knew what was at stake. You know, she really has no idea how bad things are."

"I get it Star. After this is over, we'll have a long talk with Zemi. That sound good?" Satisfied, Star nodded, before adding, "And you know we're grounding her for at least a few months." The king chuckled, giving an affirming nod. Marco still wasn't sure if his daughter would change her attitude, but it seemed to make Star feel better for the moment.

"Mm hmm, and then we'll-" She was interrupted by a fit of sickly sounding laughter. All eyes turned to a spot in the crowd where the attendees had all parted, revealing an old man dressed in rags and covered by a grey linen cloak. His face was marred by a scar that had blinded his right eye, and a greasy, bushy grey beard. As his laughter continued, he eyes the royal family, taunting them to do something about it.

"Would you mind telling us what's so funny?" Asked Star, cocking an eyebrow. She stood tall, almost like a mother. Still the old man stepped forward, his one eye daring Star to make a move. It was unusual at best that this man was so confident, Marco noted. A commoner should have been terrified that he was even in the presence of the Queen, instead he seemed to revel in it.

"Why, Queen Butterfly, you are."

"Excuse me?" Asked Star, confused. The man chuckled.

"The way you sit here and act like you're royalty, HA! I've been away from Mewni for a long time, and this is what I return to? Our queen who married a human? A princess who doesn't even show up to her own damn ceremony, that might I mention is _two years late_? What the hell happened to this kingdom? Did we replace our kings and queens with brain dead toddlers?"

"What right do you have to judge who I marry? Your king is just as capable as any other!"

"My king? No… He isn't even royalty! You just pluck him from another dimension and say we're all to follow him? I'll follow only a Mewman King, a strong king. One who'll raise Mewman children, not your inbred abominations you've created!"

Beside Star, Luci and Sam shifted uncomfortably. Marco gave them a quick glance, before turning back to face the man, feeling anger rise up in himself as well. Marco could care less if he himself was insulted, but his children were off limits. Luckily he was able to hold himself back, if he hadn't known better the king would have grabbed the old man by the throat.

"If you have a problem with me or my daughters' then-" He started, but was cut off.

"Oh shut up! You aren't even a prince and you've still somehow been a better leader than your wife, and that is no good. No good at all. I've seen what you've done to this nation, letting monsters into the streets! Treating them like equals when we all know they're savages! Forcing us to live among their filth! The Butterflies are weak, we need a new leader." Said the man before pulling something out from behind his cloak. Marco caught a look at it and almost felt his heart stop. It was a metal rod with a dragon's head atop it. It had its mouth open wide, and inside lay a red gem. A wand? Where on Mewni did he get one of those? A million questions at once filled Marco's head, but he didn't have time to ponder them for long.

"That's enough!" Commanded Star, but to old man payed her no mind.

"Where did you..." Started Marco, but he stopped when he saw the wand begin to glow with a bright red light. The old man was pointing it directly at the queen of Mewni. "Star!"

Immediately, Marco's instincts kicked in as he grabbed his wife and pulled her aside just as a bright blast of violent red energy shot forward and eviscerated the royal throne. Chunks of wood and metal scattered across the ground as everyone nearby took cover. The blast sent the man falling backwards as the wand flew out of his hands. Not wasting a second, the man picked himself up and bolted for the door.

"Guards!" Yelled Marco, but Star had already planned ahead. She stood tall, raising her own wand and bringing it level with the old man. It began to glow with magical energy as she spoke the words of her intended spell.

"MEGA NARWHAL Bl-"

"MOM, DAD!"

Marco recognized that voice. His head snapped back towards the ruins of the throne, where a massive looming black portal stood in its place. Its outer shell was a deep red that seemed to funnel to the center of the thick blackness as though it were a whirlpool. Not at all dissimilar to a black hole, it greedily sucked in everything it could grasp. Bits of wood and metal were sucked inside the holes depths never to be seen again, but that was not what Marco was worried about.

Luciana lay on the floor clawing at the ground as the portal slowly but surely tore her away from Mewni. Her bright blue eyes were filled with terror as her grip loosened, and her one available are reached out to Marco and Star.

"Luci!" Yelled Star, who looked on in horror as her daughter was dragged away from Mewni. Star brought her wand to meet the portal, before summoning another spell. "Shimmering lickerish rope!" Star commanded, her wand producing a sparkling purple lasso. The Queen swung her wand towards her daughter, but even the lasso became engulfed by massive black hole. Star struggled and pulled with her wand as she attempted to regain control of her spell, but the lasso snapped in two.

"MOMMY!" Lucia desperately yelled while wildly clawing at the ground, but it was no use. Before Star could reach her daughter, Luciana lost her grip and flew backwards. She shrieked as she was ripped away from her home, from her family. In an instant, Lucia was swallowed by the darkness, and the portal ceased to exist.

The whole room was silent as everyone stared in shock. Star stood, frozen, as if she had forgotten how to move. Marco watched the spot where the hole had been, waiting for the portal to spit her back out. But she didn't come back, and Marco didn't know what to do.

Marco turned to face the old man, who had been pinned to the ground by River of all people. Both were staring at the throne. River sat quietly, mouth agape, and the attacker stared in a sickening awe. He opened his mouth to say something, but just sat dumbstruck before closing it again.

"What did you do?" Asked Marco, finally losing control of his emotions, tears welling up in his eyes. The old man said nothing, as if he hadn't even heard the king's words. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

* * *

"I mean, the first three movies were good. Then the second three movies came out, and everybody thought those sucked. Of course, that was only until they saw what they did to the third trilogy."

"I don't think I understand, which ones do I watch?"

"Watch the first trilogy, the original ones."

"So, the first three?"

"No, no. The fourth, fifth, and sixth movies. The original trilogy."

"What? How can the original movies be the middle ones?"

"Well, there was the first set of prequels, and then a bunch of other spin off ones, but they all happen before the first movies. But there's also the third trilogy which-"

"Ash, that's enough nerd talk for one day dude."

"Right, sorry."

"Let's just get home before curfew, I really don't want to deal with another detention." Evander and Ashton continued their walk back to Saint Richard's Boarding School from the video store in relative silence. Honestly, it was more of an antique shop nowadays, but since Evan and his brothers only owned a DVD player, it was their only option. Ashton loved it there. He would pick out movie after movie, insisting they were 'classics' and that you haven't truly lived until you've watched them. Before he was orphaned, apparently Ash had a dad who loved those old movies. They would watch one every night.

But now he watched them with Evan and Keiro. Everyone who went to Saint Richard's was either a troublemaker, an orphan, or both. Keiro's parents went to jail, Ash's dad died in a car accident, and Evan never knew his parents. He had been found when he was a year old in a dumpster with nothing but a silver pendant that read _Evander_, so he figured it was for the best he never knew his parents. Still, Saint Richards wasn't a very happy place. Lots of fights and a lack of opportunities made life there pretty depressing, which was why Evan agreed to use the money he made from washing the dishes at lunch to rent movies, while saving up the rest for when they got out of that prison.

When he first met Keiro and Ashton, they'd been assigned the same dorm for middle school. They weren't good friends at first, but when you're forced to live with somebody for a couple of years you learn to get along. By the time high school came around, they were all calling each other brother and that was that. They all requested the same room, and had been going through life together ever since.

Evan glanced over at Ash. The boy was almost beaming as he held his movies in his hands, it was kinda funny how obsessed he was. Not that anyone else saw it that way. On top of his movie addiction, Ash also wore glasses and was one of the shortest kids in school. He was the stereotypical nerd. The only real difference he had from most nerds was that Ash got mediocre grades at best, and spent his time daydreaming instead of learning.

It also didn't help that he was extremely awkward around people that he didn't know, and worst of all girls. The poor guy was bullied constantly, at least until Evan and Keiro had something to say about it. That would all change one day though. When he was old enough and had enough money, Evan was going to take Ashton and Keiro and they'd get an apartment in a city far away from here.

Hell, it didn't even need to be an apartment. It could be anywhere. He quietly played with the idea of going to live on a farm with Riley, a thought that brought a small smile to his face. Or maybe they could find a cabin in the woods and live away from the rest of civilization. Of course, they'd have to find a way to get food but it could work.

"Hey, Evan?" Asked Ash, bringing Evan out of his thoughts. The boy had stopped about five feet behind his brother, eyes peering down an old alleyway.

"Yeah?" He replied, catching up with his brother to get a better view. At first glance, the alley seemed completely dark, only occupied by a dumpster that one of the nearby stores used. "What is it dude?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Do you… See that?" Ash timidly pointed his finger down the alley. Squinting, Evan could see that there was a feint red glow coming from behind the dumpster. That was odd. He thought for a moment, wondering what on Earth it could be.

"Yeah..." Mumbled Evan, as he decided to move closer and investigate. Curiosity had now taken over as Evan was drawn to the light like a moth to a flame. He took a few tentative steps forward, not sure what to expect. Then another step, and another. The object was coming into view now, almost seeming to get brighter. Glancing behind himself, Evan saw Ash standing as still as a statue, not moving any closer. "Well come on man!" Urged the older brother, but Ash shook his head.

"Actually, I shouldn't have brought it up. Can we go, Evan? Dark alleys aren't the type of place for two teenagers to be exploring." Evan rolled his eyes, of course Ash would be afraid. He was always afraid.

"Oh don't be so dramatic. We're in Colorado, nothing like that happens here."

"You know as well as I do that's not true man, come on!" Evan had decided by now to ignore his brother however, and moved in closer. Ashton groaned, but reluctantly followed behind him, keeping about six feet between the two of them. As they closed in on the source of the glow, Evan spotted a bright red lowing orb, floating in the air. He knew Ash saw it too, because the orphan heard a sharp gasp behind him.

Evan had never seen anything like it before. Where could he even start? It floated firstly, floated! No strings, nothing holding it above the ground, it just sat there. The orb itself was the darkest thing Evander had ever seen. It had a sinister bright red glow to it, yet the more he stared, the more he got the sense that something else was going on. He never could accurately describe why, but Evan got the uneasy sense that he was being watched. Like the orb had eyes of its own, eyeing Evan with the same curiosity that he himself felt.

"Evan, please! We have to leave! This is a terrible idea!" Begged Ash, his voice getting higher as he got more upset. "Evan!" Hissed the orphan, but to no avail.

"Just, hold on Ash. I've got this." Evan felt drawn to the orb, like he couldn't look away. It was so beautiful, he just wanted to hold it in his palm, that was all. Slowly, he reached out his hand, just to grasp the object.

"I'm not joking! Don't touch it!"

Evan didn't even bother to give a response, he didn't even notice his brother anymore. His fingers reached out, and just barely grazed the object. For a moment, he felt the cold smoothness that inexplicably seemed to burn his finger, yet before he could even react, the orb let out an explosion of air. A massive gust of air sent to two flying backwards and into the ground. Evan looked up to see what appeared to be a giant black hole in the ground sending bits of wood and metal flying into the air like fireworks.

"Holy crap, Ash!" The orphan turned to meet his brother's gaze as they both covered their heads. Ashton sat petrified, his glasses lying on the concrete next to him, and his eyes and mouth glued shut. Yet Evan still heard screaming. More and more wood pieces flew into the air as Evan shut his eyes, curling into a ball and waiting out the barrage of splinters. The screaming grew louder, and louder, and _louder._

Slowly, Evander opened his eyes just in time to see an actual _person_ fly about out of the ground and about two feet into the air, arms and legs flailing all the while. They only stayed in the air for a moment, before landing on their back on the flat concrete

Evan blinked, eyes focusing on the silhouette of a what appeared to be a person. He looked closer, and sure enough there on the ground, lay a girl in a deep purple dress that was torn to bits. The orphan stared longer, trying to make sense of the situation. The girl sat there motionless, and Evan considered the possibility that she might be dead for a moment. He was about to say something when a loud groan escaped her mouth, and slowly she began to shift around the concrete.

"Where on Mewni…" She cautiously brought her head up, brushing some of her long brown hair out of her eyes. Scanning the alley her eyes locked onto the pair who sat before her. Evan and Ash both sat on their backs, eyes glued on the strange girl. Neither had any idea on what to say, but after a moment Evan cautiously brought a hand up and waved.

"Uh, hey there." The girl didn't say a thing, her eyes darting between Evan and Ashton. Slowly, so as not to startle her, Evan brought himself to his feet. He reached out his hand, silently offering to help her up. The girl hesitated for a moment, before taking his hand.

Evan helped her up as best as he could, but the strange girl had a hard time finding her balance at first. She wobbled back and fourth slightly, before finally gaining her footing. Immidiatly she took a few steps backwards, still eying the boys with suspicion.

"Evan, what's going on?" Asked Ash, who had taken cover behind the other side of the dumpster after retrieving his glasses. His head peaked out the side, watching the girl with terror. Evan rolled his eyes at his brother for the second time that day. Sure, this whole situation was crazy. Yet the more he looked the girl over, the less dangerous she seemed.

Her brown hair was mangled and blown out of place and her dress was torn nearly to shreds, but other than that she seemed pretty normal. Aside from the two dark blue four pointed stars on her cheeks that is, which were pretty odd. Actually, she was even pretty. Her deep, pure blue eyes were almost entrancing, he'd never seen anything like them.

"Um…" Evander blinked, and realizing that he was staring at her he shifted uncomfortably for a moment.

"Oh uh, sorry. Are you… Okay?" He asked. The girl took a moment to look herself over and examine her surroundings. She frowned when she saw the state of her dress, but the girl didn't seem too bothered by it. After that she began to examine the alley, panicked eyes darting from place to place.

"I… I don't know. I think so." Her voice was soft and quiet, yet still a bit shaky. She was still recovering from the ordeal she had just been through.

"Well uh, that's good." Said Evan, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "So, what just happened? I don't… really know what else to say," He awkwardly looked to her for an explanation, raising an eyebrow. "How on Earth do you explain something like that?" he thought to himself. The girl glanced at Evan before looking around the alley. Her back stiffened and her a look of dread overtook her.

"I… I don't… Where am I?" Her eyes locked on to Evan's, pleading for an answer.

"You're in Silver Pines Colorado." Said Evan, still confused. "But what does that have to do with this?" He asked, but the girl shook her head, confused.

"Where?" She asked again. Evan was taken aback. Had she never heard of Colorado? . Glancing underneath her, he noted that there was no trapdoor, so where had she come from? Did she drop from the roof or what? Where had all that wood come from? He looked back up to her and saw that the girl was still awaiting an answer.

"I, uh, America?" Offered Evan, but still the girl still wasn't satisfied. She gave him a weird look, like _he_ was the crazy one. "Um, Earth?" He offered, not sure what else to say. Her eyes went wide.

"I'm on… Earth?" She froze for a moment, her breathing becoming erratic. He saw her eyes widen with dread and for a moment he was sure she was about to cry. "Earth?" She practically wailed the word as she slumped up against the wall of the alley, falling to her down to her knees.

"Is she okay? Asked Ash, who had finally stepped out into the open. He looked at her a moment longer before giving Evan a nervous glance. "I have no idea." He replied.

"I can't- I'm on Earth! I just- I-I-" She continued to ramble for a few minutes as the two boys watched, confused and clueless. This girl was about to have a panic attack, and Evan had no idea why.

"Was it something I said?" Asked Evan, and the girl nodded. Evan and Ashton exchanged a glance before she spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, I just need a moment." Said the girl. Her voice was shaky and uneven, like she had just seen a ghost.

"It's alright, just uh, take all the time you need." Evan said, deciding to give the girl time to process things before barraging her with questions. This girl clearly need to deal with something, though Evan didn't know what. She seemed to panic once he mentioned Earth, so was she an alien? She certainly seemed human, so what was the problem?

"Do you, um, need an ambulance?" Asked Ash, who stood awkwardly to the side. The girl glared at him for a moment, before letting out an anguished groan, burying her face in her hands.

"I don't even know what that _is!_" Her eyes darted between Evan and Ash, almost pleading with them. "Look, what I'm going to say is gonna sound crazy, but I need you to believe me, okay?" Evan shrugged, at this point any explanation was better than no explanation.

"Go ahead." He said, still not too sure what to expect. The girl took a deep breath, before she began her story.

"My name is Luciana, but most people call me Lucia, or Luci. I'm… from another dimension." She paused, gauging Evan and his brother's reaction. Evan just kept a blank face. He had no idea what do with that information. Was she serious? Or was this girl just screwing with them?

"Another… dimension?" Ashton looked at Luciana like she was insane, glancing at his older brother to see what he thought of the situation. Evan met his brother's gaze for only a moment, shrugging. What was there to say?

"I know, I know, you guys don't understand. My dad always said that people on Earth just don't get it, at least not at first. But what you just saw was a dimensional portal, at least… I think it was."

"Look," Interrupted Ash, avoiding the girl's gaze. "I don't mean any offense of anything, but we aren't that dumb."

"What? No! I have relatives on Earth, but I live in a dimension called Mewni and I need to get back there! Please, do you know where the Diaz family lives?"

"Diaz? I don't think so." Said Evan, raising an eyebrow. "Look is this some kind of prank or something? I really don't know if you're joking right now. Lucia shook her head earnestly in response, obviously displeased.

"No! I am NOT joking! You have to believe me, please!"

"Dude, Evan. This is getting way too crazy, can we please just go?" Asked the younger brother, slowly backing out of the alley. Evan was about to agree, but something stopped him.

"You know," He started. "She did just fly out of a hole in the ground." He pointed out, to which Luci eagerly agreed.

"Yes! That was the portal! I'm telling the truth! I need to get home, please!"

Ash sighed, shaking his head. "This is insane," He groaned as he came to grips with the reality of the situation. Evan himself was pretty sure this girl was telling the truth. He never would have believed it if she hadn't appeared before his eyes, but he'd seen _something_. Another dimension would explain things a bit.

"Look, I'm not saying we're going to go dimension hopping or anything, but you could at least come back to our dorm and get cleaned up." Evan offered, glancing at her torn dress which now had copious amounts of dirt on it from Luci's time on the floor.

Luciana seemed a bit disappointed at first, but after a moment nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good." She decided. "Thank you."

"Of course," Evan started, but Ash was already shaking his head.

"Keiro really won't like this…"

Evan scoffed. "Too bad, we're brothers. He can deal with it."

"You guys are brothers?" Asked Luci, looking between them, slightly confused.

"Not by blood." Said Evander. "But we're still as close as brothers get. That reminds me actually, we live at a boarding school so you'll be staying in our dorm, at least for a little while. We'll figure out what to do with you when we get there."

Luci nodded again, before shivering a bit as a gust of wind blew into the alley.

"We should get a move on." He suggested before another thought entered his head. Luci wasn't exactly decent to travel with her dress all torn up, not to mention it was late fall. Winter was coming. Without a second thought, he unzipped his jacket and handed it to the girl next to him. "You should probably put this on. It would look pretty weird if you walked all the way back in ripped clothes."

"Yeah, thanks." Said Luci, giving the boy a bright smile as she put the jacket on. Turning around, Evan saw Ash give a him a sly grin, not that he really cared. Ash could be an idiot sometimes.

"So how long of a walk is it?" Luciana asked as she zipped up the jacket.

"About fifteen minutes." Replied Evander. "Don't worry Lucia, we're gonna get this sorted out. You'll be home in no time, trust me."


	2. The Lost Children

"So, explain this to us one more time. I don't think I understand." Said the older boy, giving Luciana a highly skeptical look. Grimaced at the thought of explaining her predicament a second time, but decided to be slower about it this time.

"I told you, um Evan? That's your name, right?" The boy nodded in affirmation, beckoning for her to continue. "Anyways, I was attacked and sent here by an old man. He had a wand, which is crazy because there's only supposed to be one want in all of Mewni, and it belongs to my mom." Luci was still internally reeling from the whole experience. For a moment, she was sure she was going to die as the eternal blackness swallowed her whole.

As the last glimpse of her home slipped away, Luci had found herself surrounded by darkness, falling for seemingly an eternity. At least until she saw a feint light below her, growing larger and larger by the second. For the second time that day Luciana prayed to the gods for her life as the ground rushed towards her and then, nothing.

She felt an eternal stillness that lasted another lifetime as her body recovered from the previous ordeal. Her body grew cold, and finally she raised her head to see two young boys watching her with curious terror. She had now become acquainted with the boys as well as she could under the circumstances.

The first boy was named Evan, seeming much older than the first. He had been kind to Luci, but cautious as well. She noted that as the three of them walked back to the boy's home, that he stood in the middle at all times, almost like he was a parent watching children. It didn't bother her any, but she found it interesting. She didn't have anything bad to say about him at the moment, he had even allowed her to borrow a warm camo hoodie that he wore, a gesture she was deeply appreciative of.

Ashton was the second boy she believed, who was much more reserved. She sympathized with him to a large degree, seeing a great resemblance to herself inside of him. He was quiet, nervous, and cautious every moment she was around. At first it had been a little annoying to glance and see the boy watching her as though she were a rabid dog that could lose its head at any moment, but she guessed that if the something like this happened to her she would do the exact same thing.

"A wand?" Piped up Ashton, his voice sounding highly doubtful. "Like, a magic wand?"

"Yes-a magic wand!" They knew what she was talking about, which made Luci happier than she could put into words. A wave of relief washed over the girl as the brothers gave each other uncertain looks. Just being understood was good enough for her now, but as she looked at the two boys' faces she saw their doubt. "You guys do know what those are, right?"

"Well, yeah." Started Evan before pausing for a moment, looking for the right words to articulate his point. "Magic wands though, they aren't real Luci, you do know that right?" Lucia mentally face palmed. Of course, her father had mentioned before that magic didn't exist on Earth. It had just been so long since she had been here, six years at least. The last time she had been able to visit this dimension was on her tenth birthday, and she hadn't remembered much from that time.

"Look, you just have to trust me. Magic is real, you guys just don't have it for some reason." The boys were quiet for a long while, both examining her very carefully. She mentally scolded the two for their lack of understanding, even if she knew why. How do you convince someone who has no idea what magic is that it's real? Unfortunatly, this was a question that

"…Magic?" Spoke Evander, eyebrow raised and eyes boring into the princess's soul.

"I know you don't understand but… You just have to believe me!" Both orphans were thoroughly unconvinced. Both of them looked at her like she was insane, but Evan was the one to speak up.

"Luci, you do know how crazy you seem right now, right?" He pointed out, watching her with no small amount of skepticism. Luciana glared at him, frustrated. There had to be a way to show them what she meant, but she had no dimensional scissors, no magic wand, the only thing even remotely magic she had were…

"My cheek marks!" She exclaimed, piping up as the idea entered her head. At once she stopped, leaving the three standing on a street curb.

"Your tattoos?" Evan asked, to which Luci vigorously nodded.

"They're cheek marks." She explained, moving her finger to the small symbols. "Everyone in my family has them, it's the only real magic I can show you for now." Gently, she pressed on one of the stars, feeling a tingle as she it begin to glow dark blue. Slowly, the mark lit up brighter, and Luci could feel the magic flowing into her hand, warming up her whole body.

The boys were noticeably taken aback by this, Evan letting out a small gasp and Ashton taking a few nervous steps away from the princess.

"No, it's okay!" She assured them, removing her hand from her face. Ash didn't seem convinced. He positioned him self behind his older brother, watching her from afar.

"That, that isn't natural!" She heard him whisper, though she didn't know if it was to Evan or himself. Thoroughly assured that Ashton wouldn't investigate the phenomenon further, she shifted her gaze to Evan, who seemed entranced as he stared in awe.

"What… What was that?" Asked the mystified boy. Luci smiled, eager to show him more. The princess had suddenly found herself inexplicably excited, the idea of showing someone magic for the first time filling her with excitement.

"That was magic, my magic!" She giddily proclaimed before beckoning him closer. "Come on, you can do it too! You can feel it on your finger!" She assured. Evan didn't hesitate for a moment, slowly stepping forwards until he was directly in front of Luci. Behind him, Ashton nervously watched his older brother, refusing to come any closer.

"What do I do?" He asked, unsure of himself.

"Just do what I did, nothing else." Still seeming a bit nervous, Luci gently grabbed Evander's right wrist, guiding it up to her face. "Just like this…" She brought his hand forward, feeling his fingertips grave her cheeks.

Confident enough, Evan pressed down on her cheek marks, and Luciana saw his eyes widen with surprise as she felt the tingle of magic on her face. Evan sat stunned for a moment, before an amazed smile appeared on his face. She met his gaze, giving a bright smile of her own in response.

"This is amazing." Evan's eyes were wide with wonder, his face covered in the blue radiance of Luci's cheeks. Behind him, Ash cautiously stepped forwards, eyes also glued to the radiant light.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Finally, Evan lowered his hand, the light dissipating. The three were still for a moment, Luci watching both of them hopefully. She prayed to all of the gods that they would listen to her, this may have been her only chance.

After a few moments passed and it became clear that nobody else was going to say anything, she asked the golden question. "Do you believe me now?"

Ash glanced at his brother, who's gaze had met the floor. "Evan?" He asked, looking to him for an answer.

"I've never felt anything like that before." He started, glancing at his brother. As he spoke, the princess got the sense that his mind was still miles away. "She did fly out of a hole in the ground Ash." The younger brother glanced at Luci, looking her over.

"Well, there isn't really any other explanation for this, is there?" The young boy sighed, defeated. "Can we just get back to Saint Richards? We need to tell Keiro about this."

"Yeah," Said Evander, finally seeming to snap back into reality. "We should go."

Saint Richards boarding school was a tall, dark building, seemingly devoid of all happiness or joy. To its left lay a large fence that marked the playground. Inside it lay a bunch of old equipment, rusted and beaten, looking more like a scrapyard than anything else. A couple of kids sat inside, leaning on different pieces of equipment as they passed around money. One of the kids, a young girl with a half shaved hear and a massive nose ring stared the princess as she and the boys approached. The sight gave Luci chills.

"Those are just the goth kids." Explained Ashton, following her gaze. "Don't worry, they're pretty harmless." He assured her. Somehow, Luci didn't believe him.

Evan lead the three to a spot on the opposite side of the school, ducking under broken link fence and heading to a window that sat above a dumpster.

"Stay here and wait for us to let you in, Okay? We'll only be a minute." He ordered, just as fresh snow began to fall from the sky. She did as she was told, and soon found herself alone for the first time as the boys moved to get inside through the main entrance.

It was almost a relief to have a moment of free time to think. Almost instantly her mind drifted to thoughts of her family. What were Zemi and Sam doing right now, she wondered. Undoubtably they were under heavy security after that last attack, everyone probably thought she was dead. The thought of her whole family grieving almost brought Lucia to tears.

Yet, soon another thought entered her head as she thought even longer. What if the attack carried out on her wasn't just an isolated incident? What if her attacker had managed to open even more portals? What if the old man was only one of many? She had been so focused on this thought, that she didn't even notice when the window above her clicked.

"Hey, Luci." It was Evan. Looking to the window above she watched as he reached out an arm to pull her up. "Come on, let's get you inside." The young princess nodded in agreement, glad to be getting out of the cold.

With a little effort and the orphan's support, a shivering Lucia pulled herself inside and instantly felt a wave of warm air overtake her. As she reveled in the amazing sensation, she heard Evan shut the window behind her.

Getting her bearings, she took a look around their room and found it about the size of a dungeon cell. With a set of bunk beds on each wall Lucia noted that the bunk on the left had a TV on the bottom bed, and beneath that was a small grey rectangular box. The rest of the room was very dull. Dusty, cracked grey walls and weathered wooden floors with two doors, one labeled Bath with what appeared to be permanent marker.

"Uh, Wow. No offence but this is, horrible." Deadpanned the underwhelmed Luciana. Ash gave an indifferent shrug and Evan chuckled to himself, seemingly amused by how pathetic the place looked. Yet not everyone shrugged off her comment.

"It's out home, and we invited you stay here. If I were you I'd learn a little fucking respect." Said a livid voice from the far side of the room. The princess watched a third boy stepped into view, his glare setting the girl on edge. As he stepped out of the shadows, the princess took a good look at the pale boy that now stood in front of her. He had long blonde hair that ran down his neck, freckles, and a light beard stubble. This was accompanied by a disgusted frown and dark green eyes, both of which were glaring at her. He wore only a white T-shirt and grey jeans, which had a tear on the left leg. He carried himself with a strong sense of authority, his eyes firmly glued to the princess. Immediately, Lucia felt very uncomfortable as the boy stared her down.

"Whoa Keiro, calm down dude." Said Evan, giving Keiro an cautious look. The oldest brother didn't bother to meet Evander's gaze, blatantly ignoring his comment.

"This is her?" He asked, clearly unimpressed. "What, is she some sort of fairy or something?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Luci nervously replied. She had found herself completely flustered and unsure of what to do with herself. Even now the orphan continued his seemingly eternal glare of disapproval which bore into the princess's soul. Trying to keep the conversation civil, the princess did the only thing she could do and introduced herself. "I'm Luci." Said Lucia, trying to keep her voice as polite and kind as possible. The oldest brother said nothing.

"So what the fuck are you guys planning on doing with her?" He asked, moving to face Evan.

"Well," Started Evander, scratching the back of his head. "That's what we're here to find out."

"Just give her to the police." Offered Keiro, giving Luci a dirty look. "We don't need her here, and they'll probably find a way to get her back to her stoner parents, wherever they are."

"We can't do that, Keiro. She's magic, remember? The government would probably dissect her if they got their hands on her." A lump formed in Luciana's stomach as she considered that possibility. That was not an outcome she would like to see.

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do with her?" Keiro's voice had grown louder, and body had grown tense. Anyone could tell that he was extremely unhappy with the conversation he was involved in.

"We help her you idiot!" Agued Evander, growing angry as well.

"Oh, I'm the idiot? You're the ones telling me that she's fucking _magic_. Magic! Are you two fucking braindead?"

"It's real!" Evan argued, Ash giving a reaffirming _"He's right,"_ from the corner of the room. Of course, Luci was the only one to hear him, the other two falling into their own world of bickering.

"I can't believe this a conversation I even need to have with you! You're telling me that magic is real and acting like I'm the idiot for not believing you!"

"You want proof? Luci'll show you!" At once he turned his head towards the princess. "Show him Lucia, show him what you showed us." Without hesitation, the princess nodded, placing her index finger upon her cheek mark yet again. The familiar sensation returned as the room was slowly bathed in a deep blue light, Ash with a wide smile on his face, and Evan with a smug grin. Keiro watched with deep skepticism, not moving a muscle.

Once she felt that she had sufficiently displayed her abilities, Luciana lowered her arm, letting it rest at her side as the room returned to its normal hue. Keiro grunted, shaking his head.

"What the fuck was that?" Asked the unimpressed orphan.

"Magic!" Deadpanned Evander. What else could it be?

"Cheek implants, glowing tattoos, I don't know."

"It's magic." Pipped up Ash. "It has to be. You didn't see how she got here Keiro, she fell out of a portal, it looked like a black hole." Evan nodded in agreement, and Luci gave him s pleading look as well.

"Please." Started the princess, attempting to appeal to the oldest brother. "I know it's hard for you to understand but I'm telling the truth. I need to get back home, my family could be in danger."

"So what?" Keiro snapped, glaring darkly into the princess's eyes. "How would we even help you with that?"

"You'd just need to get me to Echo Creek, it's somewhere in a place called California. That's all I know." Informed the princess, wracking her brain for any more information she might have. "You just need to get me to the Diaz family."

"Oh my god…" Keiro groaned. "I fucking hate California." The other boys exchanged a glance before Evan spoke up.

"Well you do have a truck Keiro." He said, and Keiro's back stiffened.

"No way. No fucking way." The orphan crossed his arms, scowling. "You are NOT taking my damn truck, especially not all the way to fucking California." Evan and Keiro resumed arguing, growing louder and louder by the minute.

Luci glanced at Ashton, who in return simply shrugged. Kerio was not a good man, and not entirely polite either. This entire conversation had left Luci was a sour taste in her mouth. Could she blame him for not wanting to go? Of course not, but he didn't have to be such a jerk about it.

"If we're found missing they'll send the cops after us! We'd have detention for months, you'd lose your job scrubbing dishes, and I'd lose my job at the gym! Not to mention that it would be on our permanent records, how would we ever find decent jobs with something like that on there!"

"Whose saying we'd even come back?" Yelled Evander. "We'd probably have better chance wherever Luciana's from than here!"

"That's fucking stupid Evan."

"No!" Luci chimed in, sensing her opportunity. "My parents are the king and queen of Mewni! If you brought me home to them you would be paid more than you could imagine!" Of course this was a bit of an exaggeration, but not a flat out lie. The king and queen would surely pay the boys handsomely if they brought her home.

Keiro paused, eyeing her carefully. "How do we know you aren't lying?" He asked. In an instant Luci unzipped Evan's jacket and dropped it to the floor, revealing her torn royal dress and expensive jewelry.

"We're rich." The princess boldly claimed, unclipping her necklace and handing it to Evan for him to inspect. The orphan was astounded, his face one of sheer shock. After briefly looking the piece over, Evan turned back to Luci.

"This is the most expensive thing I've ever held." He proclaimed. With a smug grin he handed the piece of jewelry to Keiro. The older orphan examined the necklace with heavy skepticism, giving an unsure glance to Lucia.

"Who the hell are you? Where'd you get this, that dress?"

"I am the daughter of the Queen of Mewni, princess Luciana Dina Butterfly." She proudly proclaimed, before adding, "My life is worth more than you could ever dream of." Luci felt something rising inside of her as she spoke, bringing a smirk to her face. It was very satisfying to see Keiro backing down, his perceived authority all but shattered.

"Goddamnit… Fine." Lucia saw a triumphant smile cross Evan's face, and she grinned back at him. All at once she was certain she would be home in no time. Keiro wasn't done however, it seemed to the princess that he didn't like it when she was happy. "I'll go, but on one condition."

"Which is?" Asked the princess, meeting the boy's eyes.

"I keep the necklace until I see this Mewni, that way if you ditch us when you don't need us anymore we'll at least have some insurance." At once, the orphan pocketed Luci's necklace, filling the princess with anger. That was _her_ necklace, not Keiro's! It had been given to Luciana by her grandmother! Instantly Luci opened her mouth to protest, but Evan beat her to it.

"Keiro what the hell? Give her back the necklace dude!"

"Well all she needs to do is ask." Keiro snarkily replied. "If she wants it back than she can find her way home without us. If she wants out help though, I'm holding onto it until we get this money she's talking about."

Evan continued to protest, and though Luci herself wished to join him she saw Keiro's point. From his perspective it was insurance, a way to ensure that he wasn't being completely used. With a sigh she internally decided that the terms were agreeable enough.

"Keiro, seriously!" Argued Evan, standing tall against his older brother. Of course, he was shorter than Keiro, but Luciana appreciated it nonetheless. Still, she had heard enough arguing for one night.

"Evan, it's fine." Said the princess, causing the younger boy to do a double take.

"Wha- Luci! You don't have to do that."

"I know I don't. But if that's what it takes for Keiro to trust me, than it's fine. I'll get it back anyways." She added. Evander gave his older brother one final angry glance, before reluctantly sitting down on a bunk next to Ash.

"Whatever." Grumbled Evan as he sat down annoyed and defeated.

"Thank you, Luci." Said Keiro, finally giving Luci a smug grin. It wasn't very friendly, but the princess reasoned at the very least she had secured his support until he got paid.

"We should leave tonight." Evan proposed, to which Keiro nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting at midnight a block away from the school, by the gas station. I'll have Echo Creek up on my GPS by the time you get there." Said the oldest brother, walking to the door. "This is the dumbest shit I've ever done in my life," He mumbled out loud as the door closed behind him.

Instantly Luci let out a long breath of air she hadn't even noticed she'd been holding in. Leaning back on the wall she heard Ashton remark, "That could have gone better."

"Could have gone worse," Evan pointed out. The room was quiet for a long while, as if everyone there had become not only emotionally exhausted from the ordeal, but physically as well. Keiro had left an awful taste in Lucia's mouth. He was rude, angry, and acted like he knew everything from what she had seen. The only thing that had been able to convince him to help the princess was the promise of a pile of gold, a promise Luciana hoped she would be able to keep.

She had never actually seen the royal vaults, but the princess had always assumed there was money in there. Surely there was, she told herself. All Luci had to do was to ensure that a small amount of that money went to the orphans. She wasn't too excited to pay Keiro, but a deal is a deal.

"You know," The princess started, an odd observation entering her mind. "He _really_ likes to say fuck." In an instant the three were all chuckling to themselves. Keiro's endless streams of profanity did amuse Luci looking back on it, just as long as she looked past the fact that it was mainly directed at her.

"Oh Keiro…" Evan grumbled.

"He's really not such a bad guy." Said Ashton. "He's just, intense."

"That's one way of putting it." Lucia replied, shaking her head. Ash watched her a moment longer before glancing at Evan, who was staring at the floorboards while rubbing his temples.

"I, uh, I'm gonna go get a shower before we leave." Ash said as he quickly made his way into the bathroom. The door shut and Luci heard a muffled click before the faucet was turned on. Luciana and Evan sat quietly for a while longer before Evan met her gaze, looking up from the ground.

"You wanna sit?" He asked, nodding to the now open spot next to him on the bunk. The princess nodded as she stepped forwards and sat down, letting out a long sigh as she did so.

"You know," Started Evan, the tone of his voice giving away his doubt. "You didn't have to give up your necklace."

"It's… Well I'd rather have his help than not have it. I doubt anybody would mess with him if we got into a dangerous situation." She replied, deciding that it probably was a good thing to have somebody like that on her side. Evan chuckled at her statement.

"Oh, you've got that right."

"Has he been in a fight before?" Asked the curious princess, and Evan nodded. His eyes had grown brighter as a reminiscent look crossed his face. He seemed to stare off into nothingness as he elaborated.

"Oh yeah, all three of us have. Since we're all orphans, and most of the kids here are absolutely evil, the three of us are prime targets. Luckily for me and Keiro, we can handle ourselves. And Ash? Well, he's lucky to have me and Keiro." He quietly stared into space a little while longer before speaking up once again. "If there's one thing I've learned from this prison, it's that people always love to see differences in each other. Show them even one thing you have in common though, and everything changes."

Luciana nodded, thinking on the boy's words. "Sometimes." She agreed, though only partially. Sometimes people would hate you so much, that any similarities you had would be looked at with disgust.

"You know, when I first met Ash I thought he was a complete loser." Said Evan, his features softening as he thought back on the past. Luciana giggled to herself. He really was kind of a loser, but not in a bad way

"And how about now?" Asked the amused princess.

"He's a complete loser. But in a good way." Luciana chuckled, letting herself relax as she leaned back against the side of the bed.

" Yeah…" She agreed, feeling just a little for making fun of the awkward ball of nerves that was Ashton. How did Ash ever find you guys?" She asked, causing Evan to grin.

"Well, as a bit of background, me and Keiro had already become friends at this point. We would do all sorts of stupid stuff together, I guess our wild sides appeal to each other. However, we both thought that Ash was just," Evan stopped, as if searching for the words. "The _worst_. I mean, wow."

"Mm hm, I know that feeling." Luciana though back to the first time she met Ibus Frostheart, her face turning sour for a moment. Shaking those ugly thoughts from her head, she continued to listen to Evan as he told his story. She wasn't sure what it was, but Luci almost couldn't help but listen whenever he spoke. He just seemed so sincere.

"Oh yeah. He never talked, or did anything fun. All he did was read books, that's it. So one day, me and Keiro were walking through the hallway together and we saw there was a fight going on, so naturally we went to check it out. But then, we see Ash getting destroyed by these two a kids, Terry and Seth. There was no way it was a fair fight and no way Ash had done anything to deserve it. It must have really ticked me off, because the next thing I knew I had sucker punched the first kid in the face. It must have struck a chord with Keiro too, because to the left of me the other kid fell to the ground stone cold. After that Ash opened up to us a lot more, and pretty soon we had become a team."

"You know that's pretty cool of you guys to defend Ash like that. I almost wish I was there so I could get a few punches in." Luci wasn't joking either. While she generally tried to avoid conflict, if she saw someone being picked on she liked to think that she would do something about it. She was brought out of her thoughts by a strange look from Evan, to which she raised an eyebrow.

"You… fight?" He asked, clearly unconvinced. Luci nodded, giving the boy a confused look. In response, a look of mock amusement crossed his face.

"What?" Asked Lucia, skeptically eying the boy.

"I just find it hard to believe that Princess Luciana Dina Butterfly can fight, that's all." Luci grinned, deciding to show off a bit, before jumping out of the bunk and into her combat stance. Knees bent and arms raised, and a cocky grin on her face. Just like her father taught her. Evan stared in what seemed to be amused shock for a moment, before he began to laugh uncontrollably.

"W-what are you doing! Is that some- some sort of, sword… hand dance?" He asked between fits of joy. Lucia's eyebrows furrowed, her cocky grin replaced by a embarrassed scowl. All the time she had spent practicing her Karate and the first person she ever really shows it off to laughs at her. She and her father had spent hours at a time practicing move after move until she had finally earned her black belt. Her father had called her the deadliest princess who had ever lived, yet here she stood being laughed at by an orphan boy from earth.

"It's my combat stance!" The princess argued as she tried in vain to defend her martial arts stance. "It means I'm poised for battle!" This did nothing for her case however, as Evan laughed even harder, falling onto his back.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just- sword hand dance! You're _poised_ for battle!" By this point, the hysterical boy had begun to wipe away tears from his eyes. Luciana glared daggers at the boy, suffering a major blow to her ego. To his credit Evan was doing his best to stop laughing, his pace slowing as he became to catch his breath. Eventually he died down, and with one final sigh, he sat up and chuckled one last time.

"I'm sorry, I just, wow Lucia. You're a very unusual person, you know that right?" Luciana rolled her eyes, her pride completely shattered. Silently she vowed to show him one day what she could do, then he wouldn't think it was so funny.

"I don't get what's so funny." She argued, angry eyes still poised on Evander. "It's called _Ka-Ra-Tae _and my dad used it to fight monsters all the time. As a matter of fact, he taught me himself you know."

"Oh really? Have you ever actually used Ka-Ra-tae before? Because I have a hard time believing you've ever won a fight like that."

"Well yeah, that's why I use it. I've won plenty of fights with karate." Admittedly, she had only ever fought her dad. And he also let her win a lot more than she would have liked. Still, Luci decided to leave that little part out to better defend her case.

"Mm hm. Yeah." Evan clearly wasn't buying it. A smug smile was plastered on his face, as if he'd caught her in a lie. She was about to challenge him to a fight just for the sake of her pride, but at that moment Ash exited the bathroom. He glanced at Lucia, who was still scowling, and then at Evan before shrugging.

"Hey Luciana?" He asked. "Do-um, do you have electricity on Mewni?" The princess thought for a moment, partially glad for the change of topic.

"You mean like a TV?" She offered. "My dad hooked one of those up a while ago." Ash grinned and looked to Evan.

"They have TV!" He said enthusiastically. "Can we-"

"Of course, we can bring you movies." Said Evan with a smile, and Ash's face lit up with joy. As he walked over and began to pack his movies, Luciana caught Evan's eye. She gave him a look that said, _we'll finish this later, _and he returned her look with one that said, _anytime, anywhere_.

As Ash packed his things into a black duffle bag, Lucia's thoughts shifted back to her predicament. She still had to get home, and she wasn't sure how long that would take. Every second she wasn't home was another second her family had to worry, and who knew what they would do after Luci was ripped away from Mewni.

"Hey, Evan?" Asked the concerned princess.

"What's up?"

"Well no offence, but you guys do know what you're doing, don't you?" Asked Lucia, prompting Evan to raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is this the only way? There aren't any guards I could have take me home or anything?"

"You mean the police? I doubt they'd believe you're from another dimension, even with your whole glowing cheek thing you have going on. The only reason I believe you is because I saw that massive portal thing. It's like something out of a corny Sci-fi movie or something." He paused, thinking for a moment. "I'm pretty sure we're your best bet, anybody else would just be a risk."

"But what about getting me to Echo Creek? Do you know the way?"

"Dude Luci, we've got a GPS. We'll be fine."

"A GPS?" Asked Lucia, slightly skeptical. She'd never heard of such a thing before. What kind of device knows where everything is at all times?

"It stands for global positioning system, I think. Maybe." Said Ash as he produced out a large brown cardboard box. Inside the princess could see a mountain of DvDs that reminded her of home. It used to be that every Friday would be movie night when she was younger, but those days were long gone now.

"Right," Evan started while he began filling his backpack with clothes. "It's got maps of the whole planet on there, and Keiro has one in our truck. We'll use that to navigate you back home. As for anything else you might be worried about, I can say we have plenty of money. I just got paid this morning, so if we're hungry or need gas we'll have a way to get it." As he rummaged through his clothes, Evan picked up his camo hoodie that Luci had worn earlier. "You want this back?" He asked. "Your dress is still kinda screwed up.

"You know, you're being awfully nice to someone you just met." She said. Evan shrugged.

"So are you. You're giving us a mountain of gold and you've only known us for like, two hours. Besides, you're a pretty cool person from what I've seen." Luci smiled at that, blushing slightly. She wasn't used to compliments, but it was nice to hear them from somebody that wasn't her parents. "Also you still haven't answered my question." He added.

Lucia smiled warmly. "Sure. And thanks." Evan nodded before tossed her the hoodie and continuing to pack. Without a second thought, the princess slipped it on. It was warm enough, and after she was comfortable, she sat down on the Evan's bunk bed and looked for a way to entertain herself. She didn't find much, but soon found herself feeling drowsy with the new source of warmth. Her eyelids became heavy, and Luci fell back onto the sheets before drifting off to sleep.

Undisturbed, she dreamed of home.

* * *

"So. Where is she?" Marco sat in front of the old man, who was chained up in the Butterfly Castle dungeon. The old coot raised his one eye to meet Marco's, then looked back down at the floor. He hadn't said a word yet.

"Just tell me where she is, and I can promise a fair trial." Again, the man simply sat in silence. He didn't dare say a word. Marco suppressed a surge of anger at the man's lack of cooperation, he had to stay calm. Every part of him wanted to beat this man to a pulp but he had to keep his head.

"You're not making this easy for yourself, are you? As of right now you're a very lucky man, if it were my wife in here you'd be begging for mercy right now." Still, he kept his mouth shut. "Would you like me to bring my wife in here? Or maybe I'll get one of my guards, you made them look bad this afternoon, and I'm sure they'd want some payback."

"Stop wasting my time." The old man grumbled, to Marco's surprise. He wasn't sure whether to be angry at the man's response, or happy that he had gotten a few words out of him. He opted for somewhere in the middle.

"Excuse me?" Asked the king, his voice daring the prisoner to disrespect him again.

"You and I, we both know." Said prisoner as he spat at the ground.

"Know what?"

"We know that it doesn't matter what you do to me, or what I tell you. We both know you'll never see your child again." The prisoner stared down the king, no fear in his eyes. Again, Marco had suppressed his anger, his knuckles turning white as his hands balled up into fists. "We also know that no matter what, I'm already a dead man." He added, breaking his gaze with the kings and looking to the cold stone floor.

"You wouldn't be if you'd just tell me where Luciana is, by god she's only fifteen!"

"Fifteen, eight, she could be a fucking infant and I'd step on her neck." The man spat. "If I bloody _knew _where the inbred bitch had gone I'd still keep that secret to the grave." The king said nothing, opting to crack his knuckles instead. It was a silent warning, the king was losing his patience. The prisoner didn't say a word, so Marco decided to keep probing for information.

"You don't know?" He asked, unconvinced. "How could you just send her away without knowing where?"

"Because I trust my Lord!" The old man snapped. "I trust his judgement, I trust his orders, and I trust that even once I'm dead he'll take back Mewni for the Mewmans! For those who deserve it, not the likes of you, _human._"

"Please, I am a father." Started Marco, making one last attempt to appeal to reason. "I assume you've had a family, kids?" The old man kept quiet, eyes fixed on the ground. Internally Marco felt a small bit of hope. Perhaps this man would listen to reason, perhaps he would listen to Marco. "My daughter is missing. Now I am begging you as father, not as your king. Please tell me where she is." The prisoner spat at Marco, glaring violently at him.

"You think I'd ever betray my master for that stupid whore you call a daughter?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH." Snapped the king, yelling directly into the prisoner's face. Marco wanted so badly to hurt that man. More than anyone else he wanted to hurt him, his knuckles white from anger.

"You will not talk about my daughter like that." He commanded, clenching his teeth.

"And what are you gonna do? Kill me?" The old man smiled, his teeth yellow and rotted. The king knelt down, bringing himself to eye level with the old man who stole his child. A deep hatred burned the prisoner's his hazy blue eyes. That, and a certain stubborn nature that seemed to flow throughout his body.

"I can see we aren't getting anywhere tonight, perhaps you'll be willing to talk more tomorrow. Maybe then I'll let you eat." Marco stood up and walked out of the dungeon, fighting the urge to go back into that cell and show the prisoner just what he should be afraid of. Stepping back into the castle, the King nodded to the guard stationed outside.

"Keep the prisoner under constant guard. Nobody is to see him except for me, understood?"

"Yes, my king."

Marco gave to dungeon door one last look, before heading off to find Star. Things had been especially tough for her, the Queen was racked with grief. She hadn't left their room since the incident, and thus Marco was left in charge of the kingdom until Star could govern again. As night rolled ever closer it became apparent that it may be a long time before Luciana was found, weeks, months, years maybe. _If she was found._ Said the voice in the back of Marco's head.

A pang of fear and grief shot through the king, which he suppressed with all of his might. He wouldn't accomplish anything by worrying, for now he had to be strong. Strong for Star, for his daughters, for Lucia. An image of his beautiful little girl embedded itself in his head. Her bright blue eyes and deep brown hair were complimented with a bright smile that she wore so well. A part of Marco wondered if he'd ever see that smile again.

Stepping down the dim corridors of Butterfly Castle, he felt a new feeling begin to well up inside of him. Guilt. It was because he was human, because his children were human. Maybe if he were fast enough, he could have stopped all of this from happening. Maybe if he'd just made Zemi take the wand when she first came of age, Luciana would have still been with them. The king held his head low, for most of all he had failed. He failed as a king, a husband, and most importantly as a father.

Ahead of him now lay a large black door that lead inside his room. He stopped, wondering how he could tell his wife that he'd failed. That their child was still missing, and that he didn't know how to find her. He couldn't just walk away though, Star needed him, and Marco needed Star. He took one deep breath before gripping the handle and turning it.

Stepping inside, He saw his wife sitting on their bed. She turned to face him, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. It hurt to see those eyes, that her trust in him had been misplaced. Marco looked to the ground, before taking a set on their ben and wrapping his arm around his wife. Star sat frozen for a moment, before the king saw tears begin to flood her eyes.

"Why?" She practically wailed, It was a question not only directed at the king, but to all the gods and fate itself, and Marco didn't have an answer.

"I don't know, Star. I don't know why." Star held him tighter.

"I just want my little girl back! Why would someone do this?" She asked, except this time Marco did know why. It was all his fault, because he was human. The people had turned against him, and now his daughter was gone. Holding Star closer, he didn't say a word. He just let her cry for now, it's what she needed.

"I just want Luci!"

"I know Star, we'll find her. I promise."


End file.
